Never Let Go
by LordeMidnight
Summary: Mr. Gold is the powerful landlord, shop owner, and management consultant of Storybrooke. Belle French is the struggling, depressed waitress of Granny's Diner. Mr. Gold is married. But they doesn't stop them from getting involved, invested and, eventually, broken. Smut in first chapter (which can be read as one shot), and I have 10 chapters planned. Sorry for the bad title!


**A/n**: Fair warning, there is smut in this chapter.

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Belle French was never the type of girl to get involved in an affair. She left that mess to the romance novels and to Ruby, who was constantly picking up married men and powerful men. Belle French had seen the type of things an affair could wreak on one's life:

Tears. When Mr. Married #3 had broken things off with Ruby in order to focus on his marriage to a lovely woman, Ruby had locked herself in their apartment with a tub of ice cream and sobs and reruns of Friends to accompany her for a week.

Gossip. When Ruby became involved with her senior physics teacher and the school board found out, Ruby had been blacklisted in Storybrooke as someone to never associate. One rumor said that Ruby had paid her teacher with sex for a better grade, which barred her from entering a community college. So Ruby ended up at the diner.

Drama. When Mr. Married #2's wife found out about their entanglement, she had a screaming matching in the middle of main street with the woman, who threw pacifiers and diapers at her, crying over her poor baby's future. Turns out, Mrs. Married #2 was not expecting at all. She was just trying to desperately shelf the blame of her failure of her marriage onto someone other than herself-she had been cheating too.

And then there was the issue of her father, the man who had walked in on his wife with her legs wrapped around some nameless man that turned out to be her boss. The resulting list from her father was very different than that of Ruby's. Belle saw through her father what happened to someone who was on the other side of an affair, the collateral damage. And the result was twelve drinks a day, stumbling home from the bar and a prescription from the doctor for chronic depression.

So Belle knew what affairs did to people. She knew what it did to people on both sides, how it ruined and absolutely fucked with people's emotional health. And yet somehow on one rainy Sunday, she ended up in the back of the notorious Mr. Gold's shop, her legs wrapped around him in the same way that her mom's had been wrapped around that man.

Belle's cash from the day pressed against the side of her breast; she had stuck in into her bra due to a last-minute shift change with Ruby who had stumbled in after a long night at the bar. The shift switch had left her carless-her father usually picked her up at the end of her shift in the _Game of Thorns_ van so that she could help him deliver flowers. Customers were much more receptive to her smile than her father's doughy face, thus willing to even go as far as to tip her. Most of the proceeds went to her father, who was still trying to pay off the debt that his drinking habits had put them in. Luckily, his effort had paid off and they were nearly out of the red, but they were still a few thousand dollars off.

Staring across the street, Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop caught her eye. She could see the trinkets in the window, calling her name for inspection, and the money that bit into her breast encourage her as she dashed across the street. The ringing of the bell by the door signalled her entrance into the shop.

Mr. Gold, the owner of the shop, was also the richest man in town, rivalled only by Regina Mills herself, which didn't say too much seeing as about five years ago, Mr. Gold had married her mother, Cora Gold, thus merging two of the most powerful families in Storybrooke-Regina and Gold were family.

Their excessive wealth was trademarked by their designer clothes and sprawling estate. Mr. Gold was never seen without his Michael Kors watch, Regina without her loubitons, and Cora without her 5 carat diamond ring. The meager cash that Belle had stowed in her bra seemed insubstantial in comparison.

Mr. Gold looked up from his books and gave her a quick smile. "Ah," he said, "Ms. French. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Belle smiled back at him and reached out to trace a necklace that was on display near the front. "Just looking…" she mused.

"Anything in particular?"

Belle made her way across the shop, necklace now dangling from her outstretched fingers. She bit her lip the closer she got to Gold; his eyes were darkening with every step she took, and how could she not notice the way he checked her out when she first walked in? When she reached the counter, the blue (fake) sapphires of the necklace clinked against the glass, echoing through the quiet shop.

"How much?" asked Belle, eyes darting down to his lips, to his black tie, before trailing down to his gold ring that glinted against the soft light.

Mr. Gold picked up the necklace and inspected it for a moment, pulling against a bead. "What're you willing to trade for it?"

Belle smirked. They always played this game.

Reaching into her bra, Belle procured the stack of tips for the day and placed it where the necklace had just been. While Mr. Gold counted the cash, Belle rounded the corner before pulling herself up onto the counter and swinging her legs back and forth, her back to the front of the shop.

"I don't think this will be enough," said Mr. Gold. He placed the money back on the counter.

Belle's smirk grew, and she reached out a bold hand a traced the seam of his suit on the shoulder. "It's not?" she mumbled, drawing closer to his side and pressing her breasts up against his upper arm. Mr. Gold remained still in his position, but Belle knew it was a ruse. He always broke.

Belle replaced her tracing fingers with her chin and nuzzled his shoulder, moving closer to his neck. Mr. Gold let out a moan when she reached around his body, now pulling herself flush against him. Belle moved her lips from his clothed shoulder and pressed them against his neck, making her way up to his jaw before travelling over to his ear and laving it with her tongue. "How can I pay, then?" Her hand moved to his cheek, and she tugged so that he was now looking at her with blown-wide pupils and heavy panting.

Without a word, he positioned himself in between her legs and mimicked her earlier action by kissing her neck. This time though, he let out a growl and nipped at her pulse point before sucking her skin in between his teeth and biting softly.

"You're gonna leave a mark," panted Belle.

Mr. Gold moved further down her neck and did the same, leaving yet another hickey. Apparently, he didn't care.

As he worked her neck, Belle wrapped her legs around Gold's waist and pulled him against her, feeling his hard cock through layers of clothing. It was pressed against her center, with only her panties in between them. She ground against him, revelling in the choked noise that spurred from his throat. "You like that?" whispered Belle, wiggling further and scooting closer to him.

Mr. Gold pulled away from the bruises that now littered her neck and chest and gave her a lopsided smile. "You know what I like," he said, hands travelling up her thighs and hooking into the hem of her panties, just resting there. Belle smiled back and wound her hand around his tie.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before a ringing broke the intense silence. The signature, old-fashioned ringtone of Gold's blackberry ruined the mood as he pulled away and reached into his pocket to answer.

"Gold."

Belle slipped off of the counter and adjusted her skirt and shirt collar so that it at least covered one of the bruises that married her skin. Gold was listening intently to whoever was loudly barking on the other end of the line-probably his wife-so Belle sauntered over to a silver platter that hung on the wall to inspect her reflection and finger-comb her curls. It was a useless attempt, as she hadn't showered that day, and her hair was unruly from the steam of the kitchen. She shrugged and turned to watch Gold blubber on the phone, wiping at her smeared lipstick.

"I'll be home at five, as usual," he said. "...No, no wait for me to sign off on the accounts."

Belle walked back over and rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his midsection. Even though he was distracted, Gold managed to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Belle was now close enough to hear Cora's voice snap on the other end.

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm at the shop."

A pause on the other end. "Have you given any thought to what we talked about?"

"I have."

"And?"

"My answer is no."

"Darling-" Belle's stomach flipped at Cora's term of endearment, "-this _pawn shop_ business is burning a hole in our expenses."

Gold stroked Belle's shoulder. "We are making more than enough to support it. It's only a couple thousand."

"Whatever," said Cora, "I'll see you at five."

Gold pressed end and threw the phone down on the counter, where it hit the necklace that slid off the counter. Belle leveled him with a playful glare and rounded the counter to pick it up off of the hardwood floors. "I had no idea that business wasn't going well," she said as Gold walked into the back of the shop. She followed.

"It's not," said Gold, walking over to where he was brewing some tea on the stove. "Cora just likes to make drama out of nothing."

"Ah," said Belle, checking her watch just in time to see the minute hand point to the 12 at the top. "It's about noon now. Do you want to grab some lunch?"

Gold grimaced as he poured his tea into a chipped cup. Belle smirked at the sight of it. The first night they had gotten together, her leg had hit the cup and knocked it from the table. She was humiliated after they had finished, blushing furiously and apologizing profusely, which seemed childish compared to the act that they had just completed. But she hadn't known Gold well at the time. Now, she knew he wouldn't yell at her for something as inane as chipping a tiny teacup. But it still made her heart twist to see him so obviously favor the small thing.

"I can't," he said. "I'm meeting Regina in a half hour to go over some city plans."

"Oh," said Belle. "Maybe another time?"

Gold gave her a hungry smile and crossed the room to wrap his arms around her and place his hands on her ass. "I still have fifteen minutes before I have to go." He trailed his lips from her shoulder to her jaw and nipped at her skin, causing Belle to giggle. She started to back towards the small cot that lay behind her, and Gold stumbled after her, trying to keep his lips wrapped around her skin.

They finally reached their destination, and Belle felt his hands move lower before he hoisted her up, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. She laughed again as he licked her ear. He twisted them in midair and collapsed against the cot, dragging her forward so that she could feel his eagerness. The bulge in his trousers had been steadily growing, and he was now rock hard.

Belle wiggled in his lap, and he gave off a strangled moan. She pulled his tie loose, but otherwise left it hanging from around his neck. She slid from his thighs, kissing down his chest until she reached his belt buckle. Carefully, she took off his belt and pulled down his zipper, freeing him from his confines. Gold groaned at the sensation off her spreading precum over his tip before taking him fully in her mouth. His hands moved to her hair, and he weaved his fingers through it, breathing heavily. "Fuck, Belle," he said, applying more pressure on the back of her head to take him further. Belle obeyed and let him control the speed and length. After a few bobs, he flexed, and Belle made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, forcing herself to relax. She knew he liked her to deep throat, so she made a fist around her left thumb and went down all the way so that the tip of her nose hit his skin for a brief moment. "I'm-" stuttered Gold, "I'm-_fuck Belle_-I'm about to come."

Belle pulled herself away from his cock, but didn't stop pumping it, letting her tongue catch the ropey semen that was now spraying her mouth and face. She made a noncommittal noise and have his tip a quick kiss.

The ding of the bell in the front of the shop went unnoticed by both of them-Gold still recovering from his orgasm, and Belle basking in her ability to make him come so quickly. Neither of them moved until they heard a voice from the front of the shop.

"Gold? Helloooo?"

Regina.

Mr. Gold's eyes went wide, and Belle's horrified expression mirrored his. They both straightened up, Gold tucking himself away, and Belle wiping his cum from her face with a tissue from nearby.

"I'll be right out," said Gold. He buckled his belt and made for the front of the shop before Belle stopped him and straightened his tie. He smiled at her, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and exited the backroom to greet Regina.

Belle stood awkwardly, looking around for a moment, unsure of what to do. She walked to the door in the back and was about to push the door open when she remembered the entirety of her tips that sat on the counter in the front. She blinked back tears; the cash had counted out to be an even hundred, and she felt empty handed without it. One hundred dollars, enough to buy her father a nice dinner. Belle felt the first tear fall down her cheek, but exited through the door all the same.

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**A/n:** Basically, you can read this chapter as a one-shot. I have 10 chapters planned, each a vignette of Mr. Gold and Belle's affair. TThis chapter seems like the typical sstuff you'll find on ao3 and , and that's how I originally had it planned, but a lot of shit's gonna go down. They seem like unlucky in love couple in this chapter, without any reference to this nitty gritty shit that they do together. You'll just have to keep reading I guess. Coming up is drugs, sex and alcohol! ;) Prepare for the angst!

I'll be posting on ao3 tomorrow I think. This is kind of my test run post and you are my faithful editors.


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